Buying insurance is no easy job. The maze of products that have been designed by insurance companies have made decision making a nightmare. Most products are sold to you with e devil hidden in the fine print. The hard sell by agents make it hard to judge the truth. Worse, they ensure that you see the positives and hide the negatives cleverly. In recent years, investors have got fooled more by insurance products than by any other investment.

The problem really starts when investors seek to use the insurance route to investments. Traditionally, insurance was about ensuring that those who depend on you get enough in case something happens to you. Insurance was to provide for them if you were unable to do so due to causes like death or disability. These products were cheap, affordable and essentially for a specific term. Importantly, they simply did one job. They underwrote an eventuality.

But, insurance companies have now started selling you insurance policies bundled with all your other investment needs. You have products that combine equities, fixed return and even more along with insurance. They call them ULIPs, money back, whole life and more. What really happens when you buy these products is they cost you more than plain Term insurance. The insurance industry also locks you into investment plans for longer durations with little flexibility to exit them. Buying too much of these products delivers a double whammy to your investment goals.

You pay more costs when they bundle investments and insurance. Importantly, they loose financial flexibility. The outcome is you spend a painfully long period investing which result in very ordinary returns. Investors must buy term insurance to the extent required and simply stop at that. Investing and insurance should be kept in separate air – tight financial compartments. Do just what think is enough and stop at that.

Samyuktha holds an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Stella Maris College, Chennai. She has also completed Investment Advisory qualifications conducted by NISM (National Institute of Securities Markets). She began her career as an analyst with Goldman Sachs. She is an autodidact, and has spent the last few years acquiring knowledge on financial markets and financial planning.

Gayathri

Gayathri Muraly, a qualified Chartered Accountant, is part of ithought’s financial planning team. An All India rank holder in the CA final examination, she has worked with S.R. Batliboi & Associates (Member Firm of Ernst & Young Global), in their audit and assurance services segment. She has been a prolific achiever throughout her academic pursuits and career. She has a wealth of experience in Accounting, Audit and Finance across diverse industries. Her functional skills include understanding businesses and their financial statements. She has also worked on tax and risk management solutions for clients.

Prashanth

Prashanth studied business administration and data analytics in college. Having joined ithought’s financial planning team in 2015, he has three years of industry experience. He enjoys working with numbers and is passionate about simplifying client experience. Prashanth is also an ardent football fan and an aspiring marathon runner.

Gaurav

Gaurav Jain is a qualified chartered accountant and has more than five years of work experience in the accounting and finance industry. He completed his graduation from Loyola College, Chennai. After having worked with companies like KPMG, Goldman Sachs and Barclays, Gaurav decided to work with a full-fledged financial advisory firm and joined ithought in 2015. He heads ithought’s financial planning desk, longitude.

Vikash

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Rashmika

Rashmika graduated from Ethiraj College for Women with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce. She is a conscientious and meticulous professional. Prior to working with ithought, Rashmika worked at Goldman Sachs.

Maruthi

Maruthi has an engineering degree in Electrical & Electronics from VIT University. His first position was with TCS Ltd where he worked as a developer for a leading UK Bank’s Investment Banking Division. He followed it up with PGDM from IIM Ahmedabad and worked in sales & business development roles for two years in Healthcare and Real Estate firms, before joining ithought in 2015. He is a dedicated relationship manager focused on improving client experience.

Anirudh

Anirudh is a relationship manager at ithought, specializing in business development and client management. He has been with ithought since 2012 and enjoys being a part of the growing business. He has a Master’s degree in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics. He never misses a game of basketball on the weekends.

Amit

Amit Parakh is an engineer by design and a personal financial services advisor by passion. He has a wealth of experience in the financial services industry. Amit has spent more than two decades working with banks, asset management companies (AMCs), and financial advisory firms. After having worked with HSBC, HDFC SLIC, and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund on Sales Strategy, Product Communication, and Distribution, Amit was keen to transition to the client facing side and help clients through their financial journeys. His value systems in client service are closely aligned with ithought’s and he joined us in 2015.

Ajay Kumar

Ajay is a commerce graduate from Loyola College, Chennai and has been working as a relationship manager with ithought since 2010. During his time here, he has developed a keen interest in value investing and financial planning. He is known for his warmth and is committed to client service. Ajay is also a professional cricketer and is passionate about traveling.

Prasath

Prasath Raj has been with ithought from inception and has over twelve years of experience in financial markets. He is a Commerce Graduate with an MBA in Finance. He is also a derivatives specialist and has extensive knowledge on equity shares and mutual funds. Prasath is a voracious reader and leverages his extensive knowledgebase to provide unique insights. He utilizes these competencies to formulate sound investment strategies for our clients.

Niranjan

Niranjan is an applied Mathematics Graduate from the College of Engineering, Guindy. In addition, he has cleared the FRM (Financial Risk Manager) certification exam from GARP (Global Association Of Risk Professionals). Niranjan has an avid interest for financial markets and has been following equity markets since his school days. He has been an active investor for over sixteen years. Niranjan has been involved with strategy at ithought for over seven years now.